NICEVILLE — The Florida Senate on Tuesday passed legislation aimed at tightening oversight and improving the administration of the state’s school choice scholarship programs, responding to findings in a recent audit that lawmakers say exposed structural and financial weaknesses.

The bill, Senate Bill 318, sponsored by Don Gaetz (R-Crestview), incorporates recommendations from a 2025 operational audit conducted by Florida’s Auditor General. Lawmakers said the changes are far-reaching, touching funding formulas, application processes, payment schedules and state oversight of scholarship funds.

“Florida was the first state to pass universal school choice because we stand firmly on the principle that parents know best,” Gaetz said in a statement after the vote. He said the audit concluded that “whatever could go wrong has gone wrong,” prompting the need for legislative fixes to protect the long-term viability of the program.

The legislation seeks to separate scholarship funding more clearly from traditional public school financing by establishing a categorical fund for the Family Empowerment Scholarship program. Under the bill, funding for those scholarships would be removed from local district calculations within the Florida Education Finance Program and handled separately, a move supporters say will improve transparency and predictability for school districts.

The bill also reduces the administrative fee tied to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program, a change lawmakers said is intended to free up more money for student scholarships.

To address complaints from parents and schools about confusion and delays, SB 318 standardizes application timelines and procedures. The bill creates fall and spring application windows, requires a single application for all state scholarship programs and adds documentation requirements, including proof of residency and a child’s birth certificate, at the time of application.